Anyone else think Jerry Seinfeld looks awkward when kissing women on “Seinfeld?” One of last night’s episodes on TBS had Jerry kissing Janeane Garofalo. And it looked very, very weird. I doesn’t look natural at all.

I now understand how those who work 40-plus hours each week have time for little else. It has been nearly a week since my last update!

Mea culpa.

Since we last “spoke,” I celebrated Easter with family and friends; discovered the audible delights of Beck’s new album; began “Microserfs” by Douglas Coupland; installed speakers on my work PC, so I can listen to KEXP all day long; and I bought a new car!

[As you can imagine, I’m most excited about the latter.]

I’ll post photos sometime this weekend, but here’s the short version: it’s an ’05 red Hyundai Elantra GT 5-speed hatchback. And I am head-over-heels in love with this car. It’s quite odd, really. The only other items I’ve shared such feelings for have been my iPod and my PowerBook.

I picked up the car Tuesday night and have been happily tooling around town ever since.

Seriously. I love this car.

Another first for me at the Y this morning: 42 minutes running…without stopping.

I’m thrilled!

My goal is to get to 60 minutes. Bring it on.

I just got home from an Omaha Press Club function. Several of the people there tonight know of my new job, and my subsequent leap from journalism to public relations. I heard the best line this evening from a man who is a PR god:

Him: “How’s the new job treating you?”
Me: “Not bad. I’m busy, but I’m also learning a lot.”
Him (jokingly): “Do you feel whored-out yet?”
Me (jokingly): “Yeah.”
Him: “Don’t worry; you’ll get over it.”*

*I think he meant when I realize (which I already have) how much better public relations pays compared to journalism.

I feel slightly guilty this morning. I skipped the Y to organize my office, program my new cell phone and return a number of emails. These tasks have been nagging at me since I started my new job Monday. I feel much better at the simple tasks I accomplished since 5 this morning. And I can certainly go to the Y tomorrow morning. It’s not as if the building is going anywhere.

Easter is four days away. Bring on the chocolate bunnies.

I purchased a bulletin board last night for my office at work. Here’s to hoping I’m able to hang it today. I’m not the handiest of individuals when it comes to such projects.

I also have a slew of photos to post from the road trip Matthew and I took a few weeks ago. Watch for them sometime this weekend. I hope.

My old job: http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=494444

Tuesday wasn’t nearly as overwhelming as Monday. I’m learning more about the firm and what we offer our clients. Public relations is a much more demanding field that I thought. And while in college, I never considered abandoning my newspaper roots. But things change and happen and develop and surface. And you roll with the punches and make the best of what you have and what you’re given.

In the simplest of descriptions, my first day at the new job literally flew by in a blur. After setting up my email account, voicemail, insurance and other random paperwork, I wrote a press release, edited a brochure and pitched a story idea to a number of local media.

I didn’t have much time to organize my office, but that will come in time, I’m sure. I have two windows in my office, which means plenty of space for plants and photos :-) I need a bulletin board to hang messages and the like. I also have significant wall space that needs art. That will take some time. I still don’t have a dominant piece of art to hang in my living room — and I’ve lived in this house for two years!

The staff (there’s only seven of us in all) took me to lunch at Charlie’s on the Lake, where I had grilled salmon and rice pilaf. Delicious!

By the time 5 o’clock rolled around, I was ready to call it a day. The work is certainly challenging, and something definitely different. But I think it’s something I’ll come to enjoy, especially that I’m able to work independently.

And for my sweet friend Molly, I wore a pair of gray slacks from Banana Republic with black heels and a black sweater. Simple, but I feel as though I fit right in.

You’ll read her blog, if you know what’s good for you: http://theredportfolio.blogspot.com/

In other news, I finally begin my new job today at Leslie Kline Lukas and Associates. I slept well last night, better than I had planned. I was somewhat nervous before going to bed, concerned I would oversleep and miss my first day. Yikes. Thankfully, that didn’t happen.

The new Beck album comes out next Tuesday. Moby’s new masterpiece hits store shelves tomorrow. I believe it’s a two-disc set.

And I don’t believe I mentioned that I scored two tickets to see U2 in Omaha Dec. 15! It was a grueling 22 minutes before I completed the online purchase. I had the Ticketmater Web page loading on my PowerBook and Matthew’s Dell. I’m told all 17,000 tickets sold out in 33 minutes. I feel very, very lucky to have scored two of ’em.

OK! That’s all for this morning. More later :-)

http://www.bellevueleader.com/index.php?u_pg=975&u_sid=1362823